Sheet glass edging machine



March 22, 1932. H. o. KRANICH 1,850,465

SHEET GLASS EDG'ING MACHINE Filed June 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Hehry O. Kram ch ATTORNEY March 22, 1932. O KRANlcH 1,850,465

SHEET GLASS EDGING MACHINE Filed June 8, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTO RN EY.

Patented Mar. 22, 1932 lJNITED STATES EENRY O. KRANICH, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO LIBBE Y-OWENS-FORD GLAS COM-.

PATENT OFFICE PANY, or TOLEDO, 01110, A CORPORATION'OF onro SHEET GLASS EDGING- MACHINE Application filed .Tune 8, 1931. Serial No. 542,771.

This invention relates broadly to glass grinding machines and is more particularly directed to improvements in that type of machine wherein the edges of a plurality of glass sheets or plates are simultaneously ground and/or polished by supporting them on edge in a substantially vertical positionand passing the same in a definite substantially horizontal path continuously over and'in engagement with a series of grinding and/or polishing elements.

An important object of the present invention is the provision of novel and in1- proved means for supporting and guiding the glass sheets during the grinding and/or polishing thereof in such a manner that curved as well as straight edges can be ground and polished.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means of the above character adaptable for the grinding and/or polishing of glass sheets having different contours, and wherein the grinding and polishing of a curved edge can be effected just as efficiently, expeditiously, and economically as a straight ed e.

ther objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent during the course of the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout.

the same,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a glass grinding machine constructed in accordance with the present invention, 7 7

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially on line 22 of Fig. 1,

Fig.3 is a detail section taken substantially on line 33 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a section taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 1. The glass grinding machine herein provided is preferabl constructed of a plurality of unit sections B, C, etc. removably secured together end'to end so that any desired number of sections 'may be used, dependent upon the number of grinding and/or polishing elements the work requires. Each unit section is composed of end members 5 and 6 connected by longitudinally extending braces 7 and to which frame members the runway supports 8 are secured. v Carried by -11 within which is journaled a transverse shaft 12 to the front end of which is secured a grinding or polishing wheel l3 driven in any preferred manner such as by means of belts 14 and pulleys 15 mounted upon shaft 12.

The surfacing wheel 13 is provided with a plurality of grooves 16in its .periphery as best shown in Fig. 2, the lower portion of said wheel being immersed within a suitable grinding or polishing medium solution 18 contained in receptacle 17, while the upper portion of the wheel projects upwardly through a slot in the bottom of channel iron 9.

Positioned within the channel irons 9 between adjacent surfacing wheels 13 are a plurality of horizontally arranged rollers 19, each roller having grooves 20 thereln disposed in alignment with the grooves 1n, the surfacing wheels. The rollers 19 cooperate with the grinding and polishing elements to support the sheets or plates 21 in a vertical position during the surfacing of the lower edges thereof and further serve to support said sheets during their travel from one surfacing element to the next.

The glass sheets 21 are adapted to be moved forwardly in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1 by means of pusher blocks 22, each of which is provided with a plurality of spaced fingers 23 received between the adjacent sheets of the respective group so as to'jmaintain' themproperly s aced from one another. Relatively small, reely rotatable rollers 24 are carried byand between the spaced fingers and engage the rear edges of the glass plates. The pusher blocks 22 are carried by an endless chain 25, the upper andlower runs or flights of which slide along upon the rails 26 and 27 respectively.

Carried by each unit section opposite each grinding or polishing wheel is a verticall disposed supporting arm orstandard 28 pro erably in the form of a channel iron. This channel iron is provided with a vertical slot 29 intermediate its ends and the upper end thereof is bifurcated to provide the space d portions or legs 30 between which 1s pos tioned a pulley 3l mounted upon a pm or trunnio'ns 32. I

slot 29 is a slide block 33, said block having a reduced portion fitting within said slot. Arranged at the opposite side of the channel iron is a plate 34 and extending through the slide block 33 and plate 34 is a bolt 35 having a nut 36 threaded upon the rear end thereof. Loosely mounted upon the bolt 35 forwardly of block 33 is a bell crank lever comprising a hub portion 37, through which said bolt 35 extends, and two arms 38 and 39 disposed at substantially right angles with respect to.

at its outer end a roller. 40 preferably of relatively hard rubber freely carried upon a in 41. The other arm 39 of the bell crank' ever carries a weight 42 which is adjustable along the said arm so as to vary the pressure of the roller 40 upon the upper edges of the glass sheets, said weight being preferably eld in adjusted position by means of a set screw or the like 43. Thus, it will-be readily apparent that the weight 42 normally tends to rock. the bell crank lever upon bolt 35 to ur e the roller 40 downwardly.

s the glass sheets 21' are moved forwardly into engagement with a grinding or polishing wheel, the respective roller 40 will assist in maintaining said sheets in a vertical position and also in engagement with the surfacing element. By assing the bolt 35 through the hub 37 of the ell crank lever, slide block 33 and'plate 34, it will be readily seen that all of these parts can be properly secured to-' gether by a sin le fastenmg element and also secured to t e vertical supporting arm 28 for vertical sliding movement with respect thereto. For instance, upon loosening the nut 36, the slide block, bell crank lever and roller can be raised or lowered as a unit and upon tightening of said nut, the above parts can be secured in the desired adjusted position.

Attached to the slide block 33 is one end of a cable 44 which runs upwardly over pulley the operator than inthe event no such counter-- weight were used. Thus, after the nut 36 is loosened, the operator need simply exert a slight pull upon the cable 44 in the desired direction to effect the raising or lowering of effected. Of

is not to be restricted to the specific type of mounting herein disclosed. Guided for vertical movement within the In accordance with the present invention, when it is desired to grind and polish a plurality of sheets of glass 21 having curved edges 21a, the said sheets are first positioned side by side at the forward end of the machine, with the curved edges to be finished facing downwardly. There is then fitted upon the upper edges of the glass sheets a master shoe or the like 46, the upper: surface 47 of which constitutes, in effect, a master surface, since it is adapted to have a contour similar to the contour desired on the lower edges of the glass plates. As shown in Fig. 4, the shoe member 46 is provided with a plurality of spaced slots 48 adapted to receive the upper portions of the glass sheetstherein and the bottom of the said slots may be covered with strips 49 of rubber or some other suitable material which, engaging the upper edges of the glass plates, will serve to protect the same.

After the sheets 21 to be surfaced have been assembled upon the machine in the manner above described, they are started therethrough with, each group of lates being pushed forwardly by means of one of the pusher blocks 22. As each group of sheets is passed over the successive surfacing wheels 13, the rollers 40 will engage and ride along upon the master surface 47 of shoe 46, and the pressure of the said rollers upon the shoe will urge the glass plates downwardly and maintain the lower edges thereof in engagement with the surfacing wheels. The rollers 40, engaging shoe 46, will also cause the sheets to be rocked upon the surfacing wheels, during the forward movement thereof, in a manner that the lower edges of the said sheets will move through an are equal to the contour ofthe master surface 47 whereby the curvature of the said master surface will be imparted to the lower edges of the sheets. Thus, in passing the sheets from right to left, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, they will successively assume, as they move over each surfacing wheel 13, the positions indicated at D, E, and' F. As the glass sheets are passed forwardly over successive grinding and polishing elements in the manner above described, it will be readily apparent that the curved bottom edges 21a thereof will be finished and rounded by the action of the surfacing wheels and that when completed, the contour of thelower edges will be the same as the contour of the master surface 47. It will, of course, be understood that the general contour desired on the lower edge of the sheet is first formed thereon such as by cutting prior to the passage of said sheet through the machine. The rollers 19 will readily support the cantilever condition of the glass during the surfacing thereof and the rollers 40 are preferably positioned directly above the centerline of the surfacing substances of similar characteristics.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is supporting said plate during the surfacing thereof, means carried by the plate adjacent the upper edge thereof and being provided with a master surface having a contour similar to the contour desired on the lower edge of the said plate being surfaced, and means engaging said master surface for urging the glass plate downwardly and for also maintaining it in engagement with said surfacing means.

2. In a machine for surfacing the lower edge of a plate of glass while beingmaintained in a substantially vertical position and passed in a definite, substantially horizontal path, the combination of surfacing means upon which the glass plate is partially supported on edge while being treated, means cooperating with said surfacing means'for guidingly supporting said plate during the surfacing thereof, a member carried by the 5 plate at the upper edge thereof and being provided with a master surface having a contour similanto the contour desired on the lower edge of the sa id plate being surfaced, and means engaging said master surface for causing the lower edge of the glass plate, while being passed forwardly in engagement with the surfacing means, to move through an are equal to the contour of said master service. i

3. In a machine for surfacing the lower edge of a plate of glass while being maintained in a substantially vertical position and passed in' a definite, substantially horizontal path, the combination of surfacing means upon which the glass plate is partially supported on edge while being treated, means cooperating with saidsurfacing means for guidingly supporting said plate during the surfacing thereof, a member fitting over the upper edge of the plate and being provided. with a master surface having a contour similar to the contour desired on'the lower edge of said plate being surfaced, and a member engaging the master surface for causing-the lower edge of the glass plate, While .being passed forwardly in engagement with the surfacing means, to move through an are equal to the contour of said master surface.

tained in a substantially vertical position and passed in a definite, substantially horizontal path, the combination of a surfacing element having a groove formed in its periphery and adapted to partially support the glass plate on edge while being treated, supporting means at opposite sides of the surfacing element cooperating therewith to guidingly support said plate during the surfacing thereof, means carried by the plate adjacent the upper edge thereof and being provided with a master surface havingja contour similar to the con tour desired on the lower edge of the said 4. In a machine for surfacing the lower *edgeof a plate of glass while being mainplate being surfaced, and means engaging said master surface for urging the glass plate downwardly and for also maintaining it in engagement with said surfacing element.

5. In a machine for surfacing the lower edge of a plate of glass while being maintained in a substantially vertical position and passed in a definite, substantially horizontal path, the combination of a surfacing element having a groove formed-in its periphery and adapted to partially support the glass plate on edge while being treated, supporting means at opposite sides of the surfacing element cooperating therewith to guidingly support said plate during the surfacing thereof, a member carried by the plate at the upper edge thereof and being provided with a master surface having a contour similar to the contour desired on the lower edge of the said plate being surfaced, and means engaging said ,master surface for causing the lower edge of the glass plate, while being passed forwardly in engagement with the surfacing element, to move through an are equal to the contour of saidmaster surface.

6. In a machine for surfacing the lower edge of a plate of glass while being maintained in a substantially vertical position and passed in a definite, substantially horizontal path, the combination of a surfacing element having a groove formed in its periphery and adapted to partially support the glass plate on edge" while being treated, supporting means at opposite sides of the surfacing element cooperatin therewith to 'dingly support'said plate uring the sur acing thereof,

a member fitting over the upper edge of the.

plate with the upper surface thereof constituting a master surface having a contour similar to the contour desired on the lower edge of the said plate being surfaced, and a member engagin the master surface for causing the lower e ge of the glass plate, while belng passed forwardly in engagement with the surfacing element, to move through an grc equal to the contour of said master surace.

Signed at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, this 4th day of J une, 1931.

HENRY O. KRANICH. 

